Middle Eastern families yield intriguing clues to autism

Research involving large Middle Eastern families, sophisticated genetic analysis and groundbreaking neuroscience has implicated several new genes in autism. More importantly, it strongly supports the emerging idea that autism stems from disruptions in the brain's ability to form new connections in response to experience--consistent with autism's onset during the first year of life, when many of these connections are normally made. Led by researchers at Children's Hospital Boston and members of the Boston-based Autism Consortium, the study also offers hope that therapies could be developed to reactivate the disabled genes. Results will appear soon in a prominent journal; embargo date has not yet been confirmed.

For more information, contact:
Keri Stedman
Children's Hospital Boston
617-919-3110
keri.stedman@childrens.harvard.edu